Boulder County juvenile courts focus on limiting recidivism

Longmont police grapple with group of repeat offenders

Deputy District Attorney Jenny McClintock works on a juvenile court case before a hearing Wednesday at the District Attorneys office at the Boulder County Justice Center. (Matthew Jonas / Times-Call)

It was time for the 1:15 p.m. Wednesday juvenile docket and nervous energy crackled in Boulder County Judge Ingrid Bakke's courtroom.

Six juvenile defendants — two girls, four boys — were ushered into the room by armed and uniformed Boulder County deputies, and they were seated in the jury box to await their cases to be called. One girl looked to be on the verge of tears, and a deputy seated next to her whispered to her. Another girl looked as though she cried before the hearing. Three boys were stoic, but one baby-faced defendant with a mop of shaggy black hair plopped into his chair and grinned.

Those in custody who wore juvenile center-labeled scrubs weren't the only kids in court for the day. Those with ongoing cases sat with parents or guardians, who could face sanctions up to arrest for failing to appear with their children.

In the moments before court, public defender Alec Egizi made his rounds to the various suspects and whispered to them about what they could expect of the hearing, while prosecutor Jenny McClintock prepared her cases and tried to determine who, indeed, appeared in court that day. Along with lawyers, the courtroom was populated with those assigned to help the young offenders, such as court-appointed guardians, counselors and probation officers.

At 1:30 p.m., a clerk called out the instruction "All rise," and Bakke entered in her black robe, quickly settled, and launched into a minutes-long reading of rights. She told the parents to listen carefully because they were their rights, too.

Then the court got down to business.

A 16-year-old Longmont boy's case was called. He was among those who sat stoically during the wait. He faced at least 17 counts of first-degree criminal trespass. Longmont police followed his tracks in the snow over several miles and arrested him and an 18-year-old man on suspicion of entering unlocked vehicles along the route and stealing items from inside. Police reported he and the man collected small valuables and more than $1,000 in cash in the overnight spree.

McClintock pointed out to the judge that the boy had been placed on probation only 16 days prior. His bond was set at $1,500, and social services was assigned to investigate his living situation because officers reported deplorable conditions during the arrest. He was given another court date for official filing of changes.

Problems, children

It has been a frustrating few months for many Longmont residents who suffered vehicle thefts, break-ins and smashed windows in incident after incident.

Fourteen juveniles are responsible for a majority of the crimes, according to Longmont Police Cmdr. Jeff Satur, and all 14 have been arrested, some more than once. They are not organized into a gang, according to investigators. Their affiliation is looser than that, he said.

"It was right around September or October when we started to pick up a number of the same kids," Satur said, noting that all 14 aren't responsible for all of the crimes, but groups within the 14 were involved in different incidents.

"They are all associated with each other, but they haven't all been arrested at the same time," Satur said. "We're keeping up the pressure on them."

The Longmont Police Department withholds most juvenile offender identity information from public release according to the state's laws, but there are some cases when a juvenile's name can be made public. According to the department's standard procedures, records supervisors can release juvenile arrest information when a juvenile — ages 12 to 17 — had a handgun, is accused of committing a first- through fourth-degree felony, or crimes involving weapons or any crime classified as a violent crime, which can lead to lengthy prison terms.

Join us for a live chat

Go to timescall.com at noon Monday to join Pierrette J. Shields for a live, one-hour chat about the issue of juvenile crime. Prosecutor Jenny McClintock will join Pierrette and be available to take your qusetions.

According to police, the 14 boys suspected in repeated criminal episodes were responsible for breaking windows on more than 60 vehicles in the fall. They stole multiple cars. In one case, a 14-year-old boy who stole a car from a Longmont Qdoba parking lot got as far as Westminster with it. There police tried to stop him and he fled, eventually crashing into a house where a 2-year-old girl suffered cuts from broken glass, Satur said.

They have been arrested on suspicion of car theft, break-ins, burglary, drug possession and bond violations.

In cases where the names can be released publicly, the Times-Call withholds the names from publication unless the suspect is accused of a violent crime, such as attempted murder or murder, or is suspected of using a weapon in the crime and there is an ongoing public safety risk.

Satur said that the crew has so far avoided hurting anyone seriously or escalating to violence, but incidents like the chase with the Westminster officers could have ended with much more serious consequences.

That could have been very serious," he said. "Once you do that there is no take-back."

He said officers know that juveniles can still be diverted from lifelong criminal activities, but seeing the same kids in cuffs is disheartening.

"We get frustrated when we arrest them and arrest them and arrest them."

Juvenile justice

Peggy Jessel is the chief deputy district attorney for the juvenile division. She leads criminal prosecutions of juvenile defendants.

She said that while the court can be punitive, it also focuses on trying to get kids on the straight and narrow by using tools such as intervention, probation, social services and counseling.

"What we want to do is target the behavior to reduce the risk of recidivism, number one; and (for) community safety," Jessel said.

While it may seem to the general public that juvenile offenders operate under a cloak of anonymity because their names typically are not publicized, she said stakeholders are aware and tracking them.

"A lot of adults are aware and working together to reach appropriate dispositions that involve preventing them getting deeper into the system and to make the victims whole if we can," Jessel said.

If the child's name is made public, she said, it can be harder to persuade families to work with intervention and the child can be stigmatized as a criminal.

She noted that a child's school principal is notified of the arrest and that schools provide information to the courts about the child's attendance

Juvenile offenders complete a risk assessment when they are arrested. Jessel said the assessment includes things such as school attendance, drug use, drug or alcohol use in the home, risk of recidivism, and whether there are domestic violence issues in the home.

That can mean that a parent can be court-ordered to provide specific conditions in the home, like a sober home, in order to avoid penalties or the removal of the child from the home.

"We need to target trauma and reduce trauma triggers," she said. "The children's code allows us a lot of latitude in making those kinds of protective orders. The judge has a lot of discretion."

The Boulder County District Attorney's Office is working to determine exact recidivism numbers, but it reported last week that it appears that kids reoffend at a rate of about 20 to 25 percent. Jessel said many of those offenses are drug-related, particularly marijuana.

Police officers in Longmont can choose to refer offenders to restorative justice instead of the criminal justice system in cases where the suspect immediately takes responsibility for a minor offense. The system allows victims to participate in the process and weigh in on penalties, like community service and restitution plans.

She said cases of consistent reoffense, like the 14 juveniles identified by the Longmont Police Department, are rare.

"There are a few kids who push us to our upper limits, but not many," she said. In those cases, containment is the ultimate answer.

The smashed out back window of Ann Kurronen's vehicle is seen Nov. 13, 2013, in Longmont. According to police, more than 60 windows were smashed by vandals last fall. Longmont police believe 14 juveniles, who have all since been arrested, were responsible for the damage. (Longmont Times-Call file)

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